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ridav/March 4/1994
The official student publication of Bethel College
Volume 69, Number 9
HCMC abortion resolution passed
by Heidi Remus
News Editor
A 4-2 resolution was passed on February
10 by the Hennepin County Board
committee, approving the decision to train
doctors to perform abortions at Hennepin
County Medical Center (HCMC). The
decision was made following a public
hearing in which citizens, primarily
opponents to the act, came forward to
address their concerns and convictions.
The resolution was given the final vote of
4-3 by the full commission on February 15.
The hearing was held on the 24th floor
of the Government Center. The meeting
room was filled to its capacity of 247
people. Those unable to sit in the meeting
room watched the hearing on closed-circuit
television from the skyway level. People
also rallied in the main lobby: over 250
abortion opponents picketed with signs
and passed out literature, along with a
small number of abortion proponents.
Many citizens were outraged because
the money used to train residents to perform
abortions at HCMC would be from tax
dollars. Some expressed dismay at being
forced to pay for a practice which is against
their conscience or religious beliefs.
Citizens also questioned what would happen
if they decided to withhold their tax dollars
if the resolution passed.
HCMC employees expressed concern
also. Some cited that their once cohesive
workenvironment was getting increasingly
stressful because employees stood divided
over Ihe issue. Cindy Nelson, a registered
nurse for HCMC, said that what attracted
her to this particular hospital was that it did
not train residents in abortion. "We work
to keep a live baby alive." Nelson said
now, however, the resolution, if passed,
could destroy the team spirit between the
employees, and would eventually affect
the quality of health care HCMC provides.
"If this is passed, I, in conscience, will have
to resign," Nelson said.
Dr. Engwalls, chief-of-staff at Riverside
Medical Center, also conveyed disapproval
for the resolution. "We are taught from the
earliest part of medical school lhat when
one treats a pregnant woman one is treating
two patients, and the practice of abortion
ignores that fact," she said. Engwalls said
she had a reason for speaking at the hearing:
to warn people not to be fooled by the
"rhetoric." She said, "The fact is that a
standard OB residency is very capable of
training our students to perform abortions.
There are plenty of miscarriages that occur
naturally, spontaneously, and the use of the
instruments involved are skills that do
transfer to abortion for those physicians
that choose to do so."
Others thought that the resolution could
tear the community apart. Bob
McDonough, Archdioses of St. Paul, asked
the commissioners to consider the impact
that this resolution, if passed, would have
on the community. He felt this resolution
could cut off the "significant links" between
the hospital and the community. " Please
do not shread the fabric of our community
any further," he said.
Proponents of the resolution saw
differently. Some felt that abortion was a
religious decision. Rev. Sheryl Wurl, of
the Minnesota Religious Coalition for
Reproductive Choice, said that unless there
are doctors trained to perform abortions,
women would be denied access to a
procedure that agrees with their religious
beliefs. "We [the coalition] contend that
abortion is fundamentally a religious
decision and is therefore protected by the
First Amendment guarantee of religious
freedom." Wurl said she felt the main issue
at slake at the hearing was not abortion but
whether the commissioners would decide
"to protect or prohibit the free exercise of
religious belief."
Some proponents thought that without
this resolution, poor women would be
deprived of their right to choose to have an
abortion. John Wexler, Director of
Catholics for Free Choice, MN, said that
without providing abortion, Hennepin
County would be a participant in depriving
poor women of their rights, because they
would be unable to fund their own abortion.
"Poor women are entitled to
nondiscriminatory funding, public funding,
Please see Abortion on page 4
News 1
Features 3
The Arts 7
Sports 9
Opinions 11
Gubernatorial candidate
speaks at Bethel
by Josh Freed
Staff Writer
State politics came to Bethel in February
when Allen Quist spoke to students in the
Dining
Center. Quist
is the major
challenger to
incumbent
Ame Carlson
for the
Independent-
Republican
nomination in
the upcoming
battle for the
governors
seat.
Quist
spoke about
welfare
reform and
family values
to a crowd of
about 30
students. He
also answered
student
questions and
encouraged
students to
become
in a state of cultural decline," Quist said.
"A main reason for that is that government
is following the wrong policies."
Quist said he feels that the welfare
system is one of those policies. "In our
welfare
system we
reward
illegitimacy
big-time," he
said, referring
to the fact that
welfare moms
lose their
benefits if
they marry.
Quist's plan
for welfare
reform would
cut off
benefits after
two years, and
would crack
down on
"deadbeat
dads" who
don'tpay their
child support.
"The main
cause of
delinquency is
the fatherless
home," he
said. "If we're
involved in the Photo/Katie Lindberg
upcoming ir Allen Quist stopped by Bethel last weekg0-mg t0
caucuses, (nform an(f encourage Bethel decrease crime,
which began 9 6 the first thing we
have to do is put
men back in the home."
Some students questioned Quist's ability
to push such strong-remedy action through
a DFL-controlled legislature. Quist cited
his consensus-building ability as
demonstrated by the fact that during the
last two years of his term as a minority-
party state representative he "personally
passed more amendments on the house
floor than any other legislator."
After the session, Quist spoke his mind
Please see Quist on page 5
/hich "beaan t0 lnform and encourage Bethel
on Monday. Students
Quist said that he has three criteria for
judging the quality of life in Minnesota: tax
rates, crime, and illegitimate births. He
told the assembled students that they face
tax rates that are twice as high as they were
when he graduated from from college 27
years ago, and that the crime rate has
increased 560% since that time. He also
said that 27 years ago, 5 out of every 100
children were bom "without a father in
their home," and that this number has
increased significantly since then. "We are

Reproduction or distribution of these files is permitted for educational and research purposes with proper attribution to the Bethel Digital Library. No commercial reproduction or distribution of these files is permitted under copyright law without the written permission of Bethel University Digital Library. For questions or further information on this collection, contact digital-library@bethel.edu.

Reproduction or distribution of these files is permitted for educational and research purposes with proper attribution to the Bethel Digital Library. No commercial reproduction or distribution of these files is permitted under copyright law without the written permission of Bethel University Digital Library. For questions or further information on this collection, contact digital-library@bethel.edu.

ridav/March 4/1994
The official student publication of Bethel College
Volume 69, Number 9
HCMC abortion resolution passed
by Heidi Remus
News Editor
A 4-2 resolution was passed on February
10 by the Hennepin County Board
committee, approving the decision to train
doctors to perform abortions at Hennepin
County Medical Center (HCMC). The
decision was made following a public
hearing in which citizens, primarily
opponents to the act, came forward to
address their concerns and convictions.
The resolution was given the final vote of
4-3 by the full commission on February 15.
The hearing was held on the 24th floor
of the Government Center. The meeting
room was filled to its capacity of 247
people. Those unable to sit in the meeting
room watched the hearing on closed-circuit
television from the skyway level. People
also rallied in the main lobby: over 250
abortion opponents picketed with signs
and passed out literature, along with a
small number of abortion proponents.
Many citizens were outraged because
the money used to train residents to perform
abortions at HCMC would be from tax
dollars. Some expressed dismay at being
forced to pay for a practice which is against
their conscience or religious beliefs.
Citizens also questioned what would happen
if they decided to withhold their tax dollars
if the resolution passed.
HCMC employees expressed concern
also. Some cited that their once cohesive
workenvironment was getting increasingly
stressful because employees stood divided
over Ihe issue. Cindy Nelson, a registered
nurse for HCMC, said that what attracted
her to this particular hospital was that it did
not train residents in abortion. "We work
to keep a live baby alive." Nelson said
now, however, the resolution, if passed,
could destroy the team spirit between the
employees, and would eventually affect
the quality of health care HCMC provides.
"If this is passed, I, in conscience, will have
to resign," Nelson said.
Dr. Engwalls, chief-of-staff at Riverside
Medical Center, also conveyed disapproval
for the resolution. "We are taught from the
earliest part of medical school lhat when
one treats a pregnant woman one is treating
two patients, and the practice of abortion
ignores that fact," she said. Engwalls said
she had a reason for speaking at the hearing:
to warn people not to be fooled by the
"rhetoric." She said, "The fact is that a
standard OB residency is very capable of
training our students to perform abortions.
There are plenty of miscarriages that occur
naturally, spontaneously, and the use of the
instruments involved are skills that do
transfer to abortion for those physicians
that choose to do so."
Others thought that the resolution could
tear the community apart. Bob
McDonough, Archdioses of St. Paul, asked
the commissioners to consider the impact
that this resolution, if passed, would have
on the community. He felt this resolution
could cut off the "significant links" between
the hospital and the community. " Please
do not shread the fabric of our community
any further," he said.
Proponents of the resolution saw
differently. Some felt that abortion was a
religious decision. Rev. Sheryl Wurl, of
the Minnesota Religious Coalition for
Reproductive Choice, said that unless there
are doctors trained to perform abortions,
women would be denied access to a
procedure that agrees with their religious
beliefs. "We [the coalition] contend that
abortion is fundamentally a religious
decision and is therefore protected by the
First Amendment guarantee of religious
freedom." Wurl said she felt the main issue
at slake at the hearing was not abortion but
whether the commissioners would decide
"to protect or prohibit the free exercise of
religious belief."
Some proponents thought that without
this resolution, poor women would be
deprived of their right to choose to have an
abortion. John Wexler, Director of
Catholics for Free Choice, MN, said that
without providing abortion, Hennepin
County would be a participant in depriving
poor women of their rights, because they
would be unable to fund their own abortion.
"Poor women are entitled to
nondiscriminatory funding, public funding,
Please see Abortion on page 4
News 1
Features 3
The Arts 7
Sports 9
Opinions 11
Gubernatorial candidate
speaks at Bethel
by Josh Freed
Staff Writer
State politics came to Bethel in February
when Allen Quist spoke to students in the
Dining
Center. Quist
is the major
challenger to
incumbent
Ame Carlson
for the
Independent-
Republican
nomination in
the upcoming
battle for the
governors
seat.
Quist
spoke about
welfare
reform and
family values
to a crowd of
about 30
students. He
also answered
student
questions and
encouraged
students to
become
in a state of cultural decline," Quist said.
"A main reason for that is that government
is following the wrong policies."
Quist said he feels that the welfare
system is one of those policies. "In our
welfare
system we
reward
illegitimacy
big-time," he
said, referring
to the fact that
welfare moms
lose their
benefits if
they marry.
Quist's plan
for welfare
reform would
cut off
benefits after
two years, and
would crack
down on
"deadbeat
dads" who
don'tpay their
child support.
"The main
cause of
delinquency is
the fatherless
home," he
said. "If we're
involved in the Photo/Katie Lindberg
upcoming ir Allen Quist stopped by Bethel last weekg0-mg t0
caucuses, (nform an(f encourage Bethel decrease crime,
which began 9 6 the first thing we
have to do is put
men back in the home."
Some students questioned Quist's ability
to push such strong-remedy action through
a DFL-controlled legislature. Quist cited
his consensus-building ability as
demonstrated by the fact that during the
last two years of his term as a minority-
party state representative he "personally
passed more amendments on the house
floor than any other legislator."
After the session, Quist spoke his mind
Please see Quist on page 5
/hich "beaan t0 lnform and encourage Bethel
on Monday. Students
Quist said that he has three criteria for
judging the quality of life in Minnesota: tax
rates, crime, and illegitimate births. He
told the assembled students that they face
tax rates that are twice as high as they were
when he graduated from from college 27
years ago, and that the crime rate has
increased 560% since that time. He also
said that 27 years ago, 5 out of every 100
children were bom "without a father in
their home," and that this number has
increased significantly since then. "We are